Unclogging pipes, such as drain lines, is as old as plumbing itself, but has become more prevalent with the mandatory use of low water volume flush toilets.
In an effort to save water, and to reduce strain on existing water treatment plants, the use of low water volume flush toilets, commonly known as low-flow toilets, has been legislated in various parts of the United States, and will indeed become mandatory in the name of water conservation. These low water volume flush toilets are prone to clogging owing to their minimum water usage.
In particular, problems with clogging arise because the low water volume flush toilets are added to systems in which the drain lines, and indeed the sewer lines, were engineered for a much larger volume of waste water. The reduced volume of waste water generated by the low water volume flush toilets causes the waste lines to operate in a manner other than as designed, resulting in clogging. Accordingly, there is a need for a device which will relieve the consumer of the aggravation, costs, and inconvenience of calling a professional drain cleaner or plumber every time such low water volume toilets clog.
Conventional tools that are available to clean clogged drains are difficult to use, especially by the average homeowner. These conventional devices are messy to use, and, in most cases, require excessive physical efforts. Long spirally wound wire, commonly known as a snake, that is forced through the drain to the restricting material has been used in the past to dislodge obstructions in a drain. The spirally wound wire sometimes damages fixtures, becomes caught, becomes difficult to retrieve, goes into the wrong section of the pipe, is sometimes too short to reach the clogged area, requires considerable physical force to use, and creates a mess.
Another known device used to unclog drains is a water inflatable tube that is fed into the drain line through the fixture. A flexible garden type hose is used to expand the inflatable tube, thereby exerting a pressure, which forces water through the drain. The water inflatable tube is difficult to insert into the drain line, requires the attached garden type hose to trail through the living areas in the house, and, if a rupture in the water hose occured, there would be considerable water damage.
Another conventional device called the "kinetic water ram" opens clogged drains with a shock wave caused by a compressed air charge. Its disadvantages include that it is heavy (11 lbs. with fittings), not familiar to, or easy for the average homeowner to operate, and may only "loosen up" the clog instead of forcing the clogged matter through a drain line.
One of the oldest methods of clearing clogged drains utilizes a rubber plunger on a wooden handle, affectionately known as the "plumber's helper". Repeated pumping of the plunger causes water to surge in the drain, which helps push the material through the clogged drain. The main problem with this method and apparatus of unclogging drains is the physical fatigue factor. Elderly people, handicapped, in fact, most people have trouble maintaining the constant plunging action required for dislodging difficult clogs.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,319 to Smith discloses an apparatus for clearing clogged drains that is an early example of the use of a standard sealed container of highly compressed carbon dioxide gas generally known as a CO.sub.2 cartridge. This device includes a variety of complicated mechanical connections, check valves, and would be expensive to fabricate today.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,803 to Caplan et al. discloses a pressurized plunger that is relatively simple, yet which would be impractical for use in most applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,317 to Santore discloses a hydropneumatic pipe, tube and drain cleaner that employs a source of compressed gas such as a CO.sub.2 cartridge or an air compressor along with a secondary source of compressed gas and or liquid. There is a gas storage chamber so that multiple CO.sub.2 cartridges, for example, can be discharged into the gas storage chamber, while checking the pressure reading on an attached gas pressure gauge. In that manner, a desired pressure as determined by a professional plumber may be built up before attempting to dislodge a clog in a drain line. This device undoubtedly functions, yet is expensive, and complicated, and unsuitable for the average homeowner or plumber. This device also requires the problematic connection of various adapters to the pipes which need to be unclogged.
In summary, there is a need for a simple, inexpensive, and effective fluid pressure device for opening clogged pipes.